José López is the defendant with the most judicial movement in this entire series over the last twelve months. Specifically, between November 2025 and September 2026 the Cuadernos trial began, the Court of Cassation unified his final convictions into 13 years, he recanted his 2018 confession and he received a new suspended conviction over Sueños Compartidos. This piece therefore does not repeat the episode of the bags or the money trail. Instead, it records what changed on each front, what is final and what is not, and which dates are on the calendar until the end of the year. The analysis by fronts is in López’s case file at Auditoría Abierta.
The short answer. In one year, the López case went from three separate convictions to a single sentence and a new front. In December 2025 the Court of Cassation unified the final convictions for illicit enrichment, Vialidad and illegal possession of a weapon into 13 years. On 14 September 2026, Federal Oral Court 5 added 2 years and 9 months, suspended, over Sueños Compartidos, a conviction the defence will appeal. Meanwhile, on 30 April 2026 López recanted at the Cuadernos trial the confession he had made in 2018. The dates ahead are therefore 13 November 2026, when the reasoning in Sueños Compartidos will be made public, and the appeal to the Court of Cassation that will follow. In addition, the Cuadernos trial may last years.
Who José López is and what changed in his case since 2025
López ran Argentina’s public works for twelve years under minister Julio De Vido. In the early hours of 14 June 2016 he was filmed throwing bags containing almost US$9 million into a convent. Since then, moreover, he has accumulated convictions in four separate cases.
His case belongs in Case updates because it is the one that produced the most decisions in 2025 and 2026. To follow the money in the bags, Bajo Lupa Digital publishes the trail of the US$9 million from the convent. For the full timeline, Bajo Lupa publishes his judicial case file.
Recent timeline, decision by decision
| Date | Body | Decision | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 June 2023 | Supreme Court | Makes the illicit enrichment conviction final | Final |
| 30 September 2025 | Supreme Court | Validates the use of Lava Jato evidence in the Sarmiento case | Final |
| 6 November 2025 | Federal Oral Court 7 | The Cuadernos trial begins with 86 defendants | Ongoing |
| December 2025 | Chamber IV of the Court of Cassation | Upholds Vialidad and unifies the three convictions into 13 years | Final |
| 30 April 2026 | López, at the Cuadernos trial | Reads a statement and recants his 2018 confession | His own statement |
| 14 September 2026 | Federal Oral Court 5 | 2 years and 9 months, suspended, over Sueños Compartidos; acquits De Vido | Not final |
| 13 November 2026 | Federal Oral Court 5 | Reading of the reasoning in Sueños Compartidos | Pending |
| No date | Court of Cassation | Defence appeals in Sueños Compartidos | Pending |
What changed 1: a single 13-year sentence
First of all, until 2025 López had three separate convictions. First, seven and a half years for illicit enrichment, final since 1 June 2023, according to La Nación. In addition, a conviction for fraudulent administration in the Vialidad case, handed down by Federal Oral Court 2 at the end of 2022. And one year and seven months for illegal possession of a weapon, from October 2017. Then, in December 2025, Chamber IV of the Court of Cassation upheld Vialidad and unified the three into a single sentence of 13 years in prison, according to Infobae. What changed: the horizon of imprisonment is now fixed and final. What to watch: the computation of the sentence, which includes time served since 2016, and any request for day release or parole once the legal thresholds are reached.
What changed 2: the recantation at the Cuadernos trial
The Cuadernos trial began on 6 November 2025 before Federal Oral Court 7, with 86 defendants and Cristina Fernández connected by video link, according to Infobae. Moreover, López had been a central piece of the investigation. In 2018, as a cooperating defendant, he described a system of kickbacks of 3 % to 5 % of the value of the works. However, on 30 April 2026 he changed his position. He read a statement, took no questions and attributed that earlier testimony to having felt compelled, according to La Nación. He said he «never» saw Cristina Fernández as the head of a criminal association. What it means: his recantation weakens one of the testimonial foundations of the trial. However, Argentina’s cooperating-witness law allows the original statement to be weighed if it is corroborated by other evidence. What to watch: how the court treats that contradiction in its verdict, which may take years.
What changed 3: the Sueños Compartidos conviction
On 14 September 2026, Federal Oral Court 5 sentenced López to 2 years and 9 months, suspended, as co-perpetrator of aggravated fraudulent administration, according to Infobae. The case concerns the social housing programme run by the Madres de Plaza de Mayo Foundation between 2005 and 2011 with public funds, with an investigated amount of 206,438,454 pesos. Sergio and Pablo Schoklender and former official Abel Fatala were also convicted. By contrast, Julio De Vido was acquitted. In addition, the court ordered forfeiture in the amount of the loss, according to La Nación. What it means: the verdict came at the very limit of the limitation period in a case opened in 2011. What to watch: the reasoning will be made public on 13 November 2026 and the defence announced it will go to the Court of Cassation. The conviction is not final and, being suspended, does not alter the 13-year sentence.
What did not change: Sarmiento still has no indictment
López is a suspect in the case over Odebrecht’s bribes on the Sarmiento railway tunnel, a project worth some US$1.5 billion. In April 2019 he was indicted. However, in August 2019 the Federal Chamber annulled that indictment for lack of reasoning, according to Infobae. On 30 September 2025, the Supreme Court made final the use of Lava Jato evidence in this case. What it means: prosecutors recovered a tool to charge him again. What to watch: a new indictment by Judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi. However, as of October 2026 none is on record. To compare with another Odebrecht defendant with no indictment in force, Foco Rojo publishes the case of Alejandro Sinibaldi in the Unresolved cases section.
What to watch in the coming months
- 13 November 2026. Reading of the reasoning in Sueños Compartidos. It opens the period for appeals.
- Court of Cassation. Appeals by the defence of López and the Schoklenders against the suspended conviction.
- The Cuadernos trial. Hearings continue; the verdict may take years.
- Sarmiento. A possible new indictment after the Supreme Court’s decision of September 2025.
- Sentence computation. Thresholds for release benefits on the unified 13 years.
What López says and what his accusers say
López never explained the origin of the US$9 million. In 2018 he cooperated with the courts. However, in 2026 he recanted, denying that Cristina Fernández headed a criminal association. The courts regard him as an official who enriched himself without justification and who fraudulently administered public works in Santa Cruz and the housing programme. For their part, the Sueños Compartidos defence teams maintain that the case was time-barred and will appeal.
How to read this case file
Three keys. First: the 13-year sentence is final and combines three convictions; nothing that happened in 2026 alters it. Second: the Sueños Compartidos conviction is separate, suspended and appealable. Third: the recantation at the Cuadernos trial is the development with the greatest effect on third parties, because it affects a trial with 86 defendants. To compare with another defendant in the series whose cooperation also failed to produce the expected effect, Foco Rojo publishes the case of Emilio Lozoya in the Whistleblowers and witnesses section.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What changed in the López case in 2026?
Three things. He recanted his 2018 confession at the Cuadernos trial on 30 April. He received a suspended sentence of 2 years and 9 months over Sueños Compartidos on 14 September. And in December 2025 the Court of Cassation had unified his final convictions into 13 years.
How many years was José López sentenced to?
A unified sentence of 13 years, set by Chamber IV of the Court of Cassation in December 2025. It combines illicit enrichment, Vialidad and illegal possession of a weapon. The Sueños Compartidos conviction is separate, suspended and not final.
What is the Sueños Compartidos case?
The social housing programme run by the Madres de Plaza de Mayo Foundation between 2005 and 2011 with public funds. An amount of 206,438,454 pesos was investigated. On 14 September 2026 Federal Oral Court 5 handed López a suspended sentence and acquitted Julio De Vido.
When will the reasoning in Sueños Compartidos be made public?
On 13 November 2026. From that date the period runs for the defence to appeal to the Court of Cassation, as they announced.
What did López say at the Cuadernos trial?
On 30 April 2026 he read a statement, took no questions and recanted his 2018 confession. He said he had felt compelled and that he «never» saw Cristina Fernández as the head of a criminal association.
Does López’s recantation cancel his 2018 confession?
Not automatically. Argentina’s cooperating-witness law allows the original statement to be weighed if it is corroborated by other evidence. The court will decide in its verdict, which may take years.
Has López been convicted over Odebrecht?
No. He is a suspect in the Sarmiento railway tunnel case, but his 2019 indictment was annulled. In September 2025 the Supreme Court validated the use of Lava Jato evidence. No new indictment is on record.
Which dates should be watched?
13 November 2026, for the reasoning in Sueños Compartidos. The appeal to the Court of Cassation that will follow. The continuation of the Cuadernos trial. And a possible new indictment in the Sarmiento case.
Sources consulted
- Infobae: Casación dejó firme la pena de 13 años (11 December 2025)
- Infobae: Sueños Compartidos, absolvieron a De Vido y condenaron en suspenso a López y los Schoklender (14 September 2026)
- La Nación: Sueños Compartidos, condenaron a José López y a los hermanos Schoklender (2026)
- Infobae: Comenzó el juicio por los Cuadernos (6 November 2025)
- La Nación: José López declaró en el juicio de los Cuadernos (30 April 2026)
- Infobae: José López declaró en la causa Cuadernos (2026)
- La Nación: La Corte Suprema dejó firme la condena (1 June 2023)
- Infobae: La Cámara Federal anuló los procesamientos por el soterramiento del Sarmiento (2019)
- Infobae: La Corte Suprema dejó firme el uso de pruebas del Lava Jato en la causa del Sarmiento (30 September 2025)
- La Nación: Condenaron a José López a seis años de prisión (12 June 2019)
This piece records documented facts and allegations attributed to their authors. The mention of an allegation does not imply its truth, and the position of the person named is recorded in each case. Foco Rojo offers José López space to respond and will update the text with every development. Information verified as of 8 October 2026.
Investigative Journalist and Public Policy Analyst
Cinthia Saenz Limon is an investigative journalist specializing in the analysis of political case files, power auditing, and accountability in Latin America. Her career focuses on the rigorous examination of official documents, court rulings, mercantile registries, and financial schemes linked to public figures and electoral processes.
At Foco Rojo, her professional focus and methodological rigor are characterized by a strict approach based on the documentary verification of primary sources. Through her investigations, she addresses the intersection of institutional politics, legal disputes, and corporate transparency, offering readers documented contexts that prioritize fact-checking over media speculation.
Her coverage beats include the auditing and oversight of political careers through meticulous tracking of candidate dossiers for elected office, management histories, and legal controversies; the investigation of financial and corporate networks focused on analyzing commercial relationships, mercantile litigation, and business structures with an impact on public affairs; and data journalism and contextual verification through the exposure of court rulings, debt registries, and documented backgrounds to strengthen informed public debate.
Framed within the principles of in-depth journalism, Cinthia Saenz Limon’s work at Foco Rojo responds to the need to provide citizens with reliable and cross-checked analytical tools. Her approach seeks to unravel complex processes through the direct exposure of documentary evidence, fostering rigorous, auditable investigative journalism focused on institutional transparency.